How about some good news for the Dallas Independent School District? That would come from today’s online edition of The Washington Post, where longtime education columnist Jay Mathews ranks more than 1,900 public high schools across the U.S. — the first time he’s done so for the paper, after 13…
Left a few messages for Dallas Independent School District board trustee Carla Ranger yesterday, but never heard back. No matter — she’s always got her blog. And there, this morning, she has posted a rather straight-forward item headlined “Trustees should remove Superintendent Hinojosa immediately for bad faith.” Because Ranger, like…
Moments ago, the Cobb County School District outside of Atlanta, Georgia, named Michael Hinojosa as its superintendent. He was, as expected, its sole finalist — but as per school district policy there, they will wait 14 days before officially naming him the superintendent.All seven members of its board of education…
It would now appear all but certain Dallas Independent School District Michael Hinojosa is out the door, joining his Fort Worth counterpart Melody Johnson, who surprised her board today with a resignation letter of her own. We’ll know for sure soon enough. Watch it live, after the jump. If you…
Down below, Dallas Independent School District trustee Bruce Parrott says he wants to know “how does the business community feel” about Superintendent Michael Hinojosa’s more-than-likely departure for the top job in Cobb County, Georgia. (The Atlanta Journal Constitution is now reporting that “Dallas school chief Michael Hinojosa is reportedly going…
Shortly after The News broke the news that Dallas Independent School District Michael Hinojosa is a finalist — perhaps the sole finalist — for the top job at the Cobb County School District outside of Atlanta, I asked DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander if there would be a statement forthcoming. His…
Yesterday we took a look at the latest version of the Dallas Independent School District’s budget reduction plan, as necessitated by the state Legislature’s decision to gut public education in the wake of its $27-billion (give or take) shortfall. After the board briefing, Superintendent Michael Hinojosa went in front of…
Many good Friends of Unfair Park have forwarded me the clip you see above, which District 103’s state rep, Rafael Anchía, posted to YouTube last night. In it, the Haynes and Boone attorney and former Dallas ISD school board trustee argues against the passage of Carrollton state Rep. Burt Solomons’s…
It’s been a long, contentious meeting of the Dallas Independent School District board of trustees, and we just got to the latest budget update. First, Carla Ranger wanted to know why Bernadette Nutall, with Superintendent Michael Hinojosa’s OK, halted construction at a handful of South Dallas schools. Nutall said it…
An oddly interesting scene unfolded on Inwood Road earlier today: NBA legend Bob Lanier and Key Coker, Executive Vice President of BBVA Compass Bank, chatting about banking globalization, financial diversification and the tightening of government regulations as they painted the walls of a Thomas J. Rusk Middle School classroom.Lanier was…
Like I said, the Dalai Lama’s at SMU at this very moment, speaking about democracy, education and his hopes for a free Tibet. Watch it live here. It wraps shortly. He’s presently taking questions from the audience, which includes lots of high school students. I see the Lama got more…
New Observer-er Leslie Minora was headed out to an interview moments ago when she got stuck waiting for a mini-motorcade passing in front of Unfair Park HQ on Maple Ave. She asked a Dallas Police officer what was going on. He told her: Why, that’s the Dalai Lama! Oh, right…
We’ve had this discussion on and off in recent months: With all the schools coming online courtesy the 2008 bond election, when oh when will Dallas Independent School District begin shuttering some of its existing campuses? Trustee Edwin Flores says perhaps as soon as the 2012-’13 school year; this morning,…
If you’d been in one particular basement in Arlington a little more than an hour ago, you would’ve stood square in the middle of a fairly strange scene: Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa standing around, cheerful and well-dressed in a light gray suit, a few feet from American League MVP…
Former First Lady Laura Bush announced this morning that her foundation, which has provided more than $14 million in grants intended to fill school libraries with more and better books, is dispersing more than a million dollars to some 241 schools this year. Bush made the announcement at Jack Lowe…
No, that photo above is not a scene from Morgan Spulock’s latest documentary. Turns out, Dallas County Schools has teamed up with ad agency Alpha Media to stick hundreds of vinyl advertisements on the sides of their buses, generating an expected $1 million this year. As next year’s budget cuts begin…
Harmony Public Schools, Texas’ largest chain of charter schools, packed all but the uppermost tier of the Winspear last night for a celebration of its 10th anniversary. The 33-school chain is built on a math, science and engineering curriculum — a popular talking point among a series of lawmakers who,…
A Friend of Unfair Park forwards along this certificate of congratulations from the Richardson Independent School District, which has been posted to Lamebook. High five…
One thing I will do is admit when I’m wrong. And Aggies fans, I was wrong about this one and y’all were right. Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson was indeed good enough to be a first-round draft pick. In the United Football League. The Hartford Colonials last night made Johnson the…
Superintendent Media Availability (4/29/2011) from Dallas Independent School Dist on Vimeo.As the Dallas Independent School District was sending word Friday that it had just laid off 203 from central administration, and eliminating another 247 presently unfilled positions, Dallas Independent School District Michael Hinojosa was holding a press conference at 3700…
A couple of hours ago, Tawnell Hobbs wrote that she’d heard 250 central staffers at the Dallas Independent School District were being laid off today. Matter of fact, says the district in a release made available moments ago, the total number of central staff positions cut today is almost twice…
Just a few minutes ago, the Dallas Independent School District posted to its Facebook page a lengthy note that says Superintendent Michael Hinojosa has ditched his plan to split Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center into two schools while at the same time eliminating five of its seven principals. Instead, says…
